Norco Mountain bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

What the heck Raleigh are you talking about??? My girlfriend bout an M-400 that had all STX-RC and LX V-brakes for 600 bucks that kicked the ass in terms of eq set up for any thing else in it’s range. Raleigh is not a department store bike and I have no clue where you got that idea. Yeah Huffy and Murray suck but don’t try to stick Raleigh in there when you have no clue what you are talking about. And I ride a Fisher so no I am not partial to Raleigh I just have no clue where you are coming from.

 

She loves the bike btw and I researched it for her and nothing else even came close. Alum frame too. well there was a few postings a while ago about the different raleighs. but Im afraid ‘the terminator’ is right (well kinda) .over here we also have these really crappy department store bikes called raleighs. But then theres a different (well they must be) raleigh that makes pretty decent bikes (like the one you bought).

 

The authorities then ignored cyclists and they were tolerated in the forest. When MOUNTAIN BIKING became popular in the 90′s we saw an orchestrated campaign in the local papers full of all the non-scientific opinion which led to the banning of MOUNTAIN BIKES from all but gravel tracks. Due to the politics of the management of the forest MOUNTAIN BIKES are still a target for ill informed ranting and we are still under threat of losing access. The Forestry Commission experts will privately confirm that they do not consider cyclists a threat to the majority of the forest, there are some sandy areas where erosion is a problem, but they cannot be publicly vocal due to the forest politics.

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , ,

Cuyamaca State Park threatened by Mountain Bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following is from the Sierra Clubs San Diego chapter List Forum, the author is Geoffrey Smith, he is the Conservation Coordinator for the Sierra Clubs San Diego chapter. Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 14:42:58 -0700 From: Geoffrey Smith Subject: Cuyamaca State Park threatened by Mountain Bikes Cuyamaca State Park threatened by Mountain Bikes Trails and ecosystem in Cuyamaca State Park are under attack. I’ve asked Parks Committee Chair Devore Smith to take the lead on this hearing (thanks Dad!) on October 15th.

 

I should note here that the day that Iris Kenna (sp?) was killed by a mountain lion near Cuyamaca peak, about 6 years ago, there was an organized mountain bike race on state park dirt roads and trails. There is a very strong likelihood that her death was due to the lion becoming agitated by the disruptive activity of the riders. See you at the hearing on the 15th. If you cannot attend, please write to the address below, expressing your belief that single-track trails should remain for hikers, horses and critters — not mechanical, fast and silent mountain bicycles. Geoffrey Following is an alert message sent from the pro-mountain bike group: !!!San Diego Singletrack ALERT!!!

 

This is an extremely important notice from the San Diego Mountain Biking Association. If you are interested in trail access at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park(CRSP), NOW is the time to act! As you may have heard, the Park District is considering possible changes in bicycle access on nearly 30 miles of singletrack trail within CRSP. Currently, bicyclists have access to only a tiny fraction of the Park’s singletrack trails system. We now have an opportunity to gain more equitable access but it will happen only if the District hears from San Diego’s responsible mountain biking community. The District is already hearing from the opposition and it is time for you to speak up. The message must be calm, clear and supportive of the District’s consideration of more multi-use trails. There are two ways in which the bicycling community must be heard.

 

The first is to email and snail mail (or fax) the District at the numbers below to express your support and appreciation for increased bicycle access at CRSP, and to offer your commitment to cooperating with park staff and other trail users to reduce conflict on multiple-use trails. Please customize and personalize it as much as possible and keep it positive. The second, and equally important moment when your voice MUST be heard will be Monday, October 15th at 6:30pm at the Hual-Cu-Quish camp at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. BE THERE! This will be the public’s first opportunity to hear the specifics of the District’s plans and to offer your support for multiple-use trails. The opposition will be there insisting that bicyclists should not have access to our public trails. But despite whatever discriminatory, inflammatory and scientifically unsupportable sentiments may be expressed by the opposition, our job is to reassure the District that multiple-use trails will be welcomed and supported by the public and that the bicycling community will continue to work closely with the District and other trail users to make multi-use a success at CRSP.

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , ,

Coyote Mountain Bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Have you ever ridden a ‘bent? My ‘bent is not intended for offroad use, but I can guarantee that I can see farther ahead and more of what’s going on around me while I’m sitting in a full upright position than I can while perched on the saddle of my mountain bike, and I don’t have to strain my neck to do it. Second, probably more important, is that there is no way to unweight the bike when you hop over an obstacle, so all the shock goes right up your back, in the unlikely event that you clear the obstacle in the first place.

 

Just try riding a recumbent up a square curb. No problem on a regular bike, big problem on a recumbent. It’s true that you can’t unweight the seat. However, your comments about the shock travelling up your spine as a result are untrue, at least in the case of my ‘bent, a Trek R200. It has a Cane Creek AD5 shock in the back, and a thick, cushy Rans seat that effectively isolate the spine from jolts and vibrations. Unlike road racing, mountain bike competition has no restrictions on what you can ride. If recuments were effective, we would have seen one by now. As I see it, the main problem with ‘bents offroad is the inability to shift your weigh forward to keep the front end down on steep climbs.

 

The other problem is the small wheel size on many ‘bents. I have 20″ wheels fore and aft and they tend to drop into holes that my mtb wheels roll right over. IIRC, the offroad BikeE model has an even smaller front wheel – like 14″ or 16″ – even more likely to fall into holes. Guess again, Pokey. My head is at the same height on my ‘bent as it is on my mtb – about sports car window height. And people *notice* ‘bents. You don’t fade into the background. Still, on any bike, it’s safest to assume that motorists don’t see you at all and ride accordingly. > and the aerodynamic properties are way ahead > of diamond frames. True. Recumbents have an unfair advantage over diamond frames. You can’t get out of the saddle to change your position, You don’t need to.

 

The seat is comfortable enough that you can sit and spin for hours without developing painful pressure points. No sore butt or wrists, no saddle sores, no numb hands, no tired shoulders, neck or back. Your legs and your lungs are the only limit to your cruising range. you can’t unweight on rough ground, and drafting is pretty difficult. Again, have you ever actually ridden a ‘bent? Drafting is not difficult, at least no more so than on a diamond frame. And besides, how often is the ability to draft a concern for the average cyclist? When you come to a stop, putting a foot down is difficult. Bullshit once again. Unclip, put a foot down, how hard is that? There is probably more. I see recumbents around on the road now and then, but they are not going to take over any time soon. I see more and more of them around these days. They are the ultimate choice for touring – comfortable, easy to ride, and you can enjoy the scenery around you.

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , ,

Custom Built Mountain Bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There are a couple of problems with recumbents off road. First of course is visibility. You can’t see as far ahead. Second, probably more important, is that there is no way to unweight the bike when you hop over an obstacle, so all the shock goes right up your back, in the unlikely event that you clear the obstacle in the first place. Just try riding a recumbent up a square curb. No problem on a regular bike, big problem on a recumbent. Unlike road racing, mountain bike competition has no restrictions on what you can ride. If recuments were effective, we would have seen one by now. Also, does anyone have any thoughts on these as road bikes? You can’t see, you can’t be seen, and the aerodynamic properties are way ahead of diamond frames.

 

You can’t get out of the saddle to change your position, you can’t unweight on rough ground, and drafting is pretty difficult. When you come to a stop, putting a foot down is difficult. There is probably more. I see recumbents around on the road now and then, but they are not going to take over any time soon. Again more propaganda that’s based on rumor, not actual experiance.

 

I can see better on my BikeE as I don’t have to lift my head to see where I’m going. I far as being seen, my head is only 5 inches lower than when I’m on my MTB. Actual experiance shows me cars give me more room when I’m on my bent. If you own one of the lower riding bents, you make yourslf more visible. Relying just on the height of the bike for visibility would be pretty stupid. and the aerodynamic properties are way ahead of diamond frames. At last, some truth! You can’t get out of the saddle to change your position, you can’t unweight on rough ground, There is some truth here, but you wouldn’t drive your Honda Accord off a 10 foot drop, so only ride what your machine is capable. and drafting is pretty difficult. You’ll be out in front, so you won’t need to be drafting. When you come to a stop, putting a foot down is difficult.

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Deal with mountain bikes as in road bikes

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

To really know if a bike is going to work, it has to be the correct size for you, so does this mean that the dealer is going to stock a demo of every size? Otherwise you might just be making a judgement on which dealer happened to pick a bike which fit you the best for his demo. I know size is not as big a deal with mountain bikes as in road bikes, but it still is a big deal. Any sizeable town should have a couple of LBSs have rental bikes, though the selection is limited.

 

It should at least allow one to ride a FS bike (the only FS bikes I’ve ever ridden were rentals). And you don’t even have to know the owner. Many bike shops will even take the price of the rental off the purchase price. That seems like a really good way to demo a bike, if you’re lucky enough to find a place that rents what you’re considering purchasing.I suspect that as more and more people buy bikes via mail order and as  used bikes via the internet, LOBs are going to start offering less in the way of “demo” opportunities. But isn’t one of the main advantages of the LBS that you can “try before you buy”?

 

If you can’t try out the goods at the LBS, there is even less reason to buy at an LBS than via mail-order. I think you missed the point. LOBs can’t possibly survive if all they are being used for is local test ride location for mail order, web-based, and other channels for bike sales. I think its pretty clear that the ability to look at, get fitted properly, and test ride bikes are valuable services. Support the Well, a couple of things probably prevent this. First, each bike shop can only carry so many bike lines. In part because of the cost of inventorying bikes (and don’t discount the cost of retail floor space… the main order and web-based places certainly recognized how expensive this is!).

And the cost of educating store staff on multiple bike lines. Plus, I suspect LOBs are somewhat limited by the mfrs. from carrying too many lines (I suspect the Mfrs. try to limit competition *and* maximize geographical coverage by having only so many dealers in certain areas). Clothes I completely agree with you, but I suspect your real gripe is with bikes, and I also suspect most LOBs will order clothing for customers.  3. be in the general vicinity of “competitive”, price-wise Ahh… here’s the rub. LOBs cost structure is way different than mail order and web-based places. Fewer employees (and way fewer/no skilled wrenches). And less/no real estate (and out here, real estate is *very* expensive). Insurance. Taxes. Advertising.

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Specialized mountain bikes

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

One important point that you have not considered is who the bike is for. We have just bought a Dawes Synthesis hybrid with 17″ mountain bike frame and 700c wheels. We will not be doing much (if any) off-road work so I have changed the tyres from pseudo-knoblies to Conti top tours. This has also allowed me to use narrow Esge mudguards. BUT the REAL reason for choosing a hybrid frame was simple:

 

My wife could not fit on a standard 19″ diamond frame, and due to their lack of rigidity, I would not consider a ladies frame. So there we have it: a good ladies tourer for someone with a shorter inside leg measurement. Two bonuses: She loves the grip shift and bar ends and more importantly.

 

The longer seat post means that I can just about fit on it when she isn’t about! ( I normally ride a 22″ tourer)Where can one find a good deal on Specialized mountain bikes? Or, is there such a thing? I’m beginning to believe that discounting is not allowed. (Very sneaky marketing, if you ask me) LBDs provide a much needed service and only get a small profit for the parts and bikes they sell (30% profit margin is standard – many industries charge full “keystone”, which is 100%). How would you feel if your employer suddenly told you that you were being paid too much and fired you to hire someone willing to work for half your salary?

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Triathlon with mountain bikes?

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Nanahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC is sponsoring a triathlon including a 12 mile mountain bike ride. The other two legs are a 5 mile trail run and a 5 mile flat water paddle (handicapped by boat type). It is going to be held the weekend of May 10 and 11. You can compete either as a team or as an individual. Call the NOC in Bryson City for information.I have received both private and public e-mail concerning my questions. I just DID put slicks on my mountain bike and although it “looks” a bit odd…

 

I’m so used to those big mother tread monsters….my speed on the way home from the bike shop was 3-4 mph faster than on the way there!!!! I also put a different headset on it (slightly higher angle and shorter) and I will be upgrading (?) to clipless in two more weeks (got to do one step at a time) I started swimming last week…and sunk like a rock!! That and all the chlorine that I drank made for a real fun morning!! Well….I am hoping for some assistance in the swim dept. and will keep ya’ll(I know, I know, it’s a Texas thing, but I figured, if you’re with the natives, may as well SOUND like ‘em, right?)

 

updated on that. New training program is being developed as we type…and I’ll probably post that next week for some feedback. Didn’t see the original post, so I don’t know where Augie is BUT for those of you in the Eastern US check out www.triath.com. This is the home page for Triathlantic, an org that promotes traditional triathlons, road and mountian bike biathlons. I have done both the latter – excellent organization, free lunch, T-shirts, prizes for probably about 1/3 of the entrants, etc. A great day racing. He has events from Vermont down through N. Carolina. Check it out! (P.S. if you don’t like running but know someone who does you can form a relay team!) He’s poor, so I think he would be uncomfortable paying as much as $300 (This is a reasonable price for a 4 year old mountain bike — we’re not looking for anything off the rack here…). My other friend is looking for a nicer AND smaller bike. He’d like a newer, Deore equipped bike with a 16 to 17 inch frame. He will pay $300 to $400, and thus, expects the bike to be in good shape. If you have such a bike as these that I’ve described, let me know.

You can visit knolhub to know more about the LG optimus P500 Smartphone that was launched lately.

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Specialties of mountain bikes

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A few years ago, before I became a student again, I had to perform a building survey of the Supai Indian Health Clinic at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I was told there were only three ways down: helicopter, pack-mule, or foot. Of course I chose instead to ride my mountain bike. After a mile or so of rather hairy switch-backs, the trail let out into a large arroyo filled with sandy wash and scree – hard going on my bike. I encountered several people riding out of the canyon on horse-back. In each case I greeted the rider from a distance, stopped, and waited for them to ride past.

 

None of the horses spooked or shied away, even though I’m sure none of them had ever seen a mountain bike before (especially not a flame-orange and yellow Ritchey!  ) The only problem I had was when I got to town. As I was leisurely cruising looking for the clinic, a man came out of the Visitor’s Center and shouted “Hey you – you can’t ride those bikes here!” Oh well – there was no sign to that effect posted at the top of the trail. It all worked out for the best, though. After I finished my survey, my bike and I got a free ride out by helicopter.

 

As a previous poster pointed out, a little courtesy can go a long way. In my case it took me a couple thousand feet straight up and seven miles across with a spectacular view.I picked up a cute little bike bell from Specialized; Black, lightweight, pleasant “ding ding” tone for about 7 bucks. It’s nice when you come up on someone while you’re road riding or path riding- let’s them know you’re there without scaring the hell out of them. I haven’t tried it on horses yet, but the times I have run into horse riders, I’ve just talked and gone slow until I was well past- no problem. Actually from what I’ve seen, the horses do more trail damage (shoes digging up the trail – manure piles everywhere) than bikes, 4-wheelers, or snowmobiles! Be safer to keep them where they belong- in ALPO cans {calm down; I’m just kidding}…

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , ,

K2 mountainbikes

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I love this sport or hobby or whatever you want to call it. We all have .the same passions on this NG. One in which Mikey will NEVER understand. I understand perfectly. YOU don’t understand why wildlife & non-mountain bikers don’t share your enthusiasm! .We have a love for the outdoors, So naturally, you go out & destroy it! Other than the cost of the bike and .clothing, it’s something we can enjoy without further expenses. Where .else can you spend a few hours with good friends and nature at it’s best .doing what you enjoy most.

 

We weren’t put on this earth so we could build .habitats for animals. Ole Mikey forgets that we all share the same .ground. Do we dominate the animal kingdom? You betcha. It’s survival of .the fittest. That doesn’t excuse it. As one of those survivors, I enjoy my right and freedom to .enjoy my surroundings. BS. There is NO right to MTB, as determined by a federal court. — I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans (“pure habitat”). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

 

I am trying to be VERRRY polite, but I can only take so much. I, as well as everyone else on this NG realize your OPINION on this subject, but we don’t need to keep hearing it over and over again. If MTB’ers like myself are so bad, why do we MAINTAIN the trails we use, donate funds or support to groups that support trail maintenance, and provide any assistance that we can to inform other riders on safe and proper use of trails??? Some of us even donate time or effort to non-MTB programs like the Nature Conservancy(Eagle project by my bro was build 2 bridges and clean trails and remove trash from the local preserve). Just because we ride our bikes on the dirt doesn’t mean we are bad people. Another point…some of us love to MTB, but don’t have trails, so we ride fire roads, ski resorts, and other things like that. These trails have NOTHING to do with bikes, but they are places where we can ride without damaging the environment. I have read absolutley nothing saying that MTB’ing is illegal in any state, and after reading this message, believe me, I LOOKED!!! I also realize that this will just encourage you to write me a hate-mail response saying that I am ‘off the wall’, but I will accept your opinion(since that’s all it is), and will not write you any return hate-mai

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Mountain Bikes – Portland

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I hope that someone reading this will be willing to address a question which they have, no doubt, answered countless times before for others. Let me say “Thank you very much” in advance to anyone who takes the time to share their knowledge with me. Here’s the situation. I haven’t bought a bike in 10 years, and now I’d like to get a good mountain bike that will last me a while. Regrettably, I don’t have much money to spend. Basically, I’m looking for trouble-free operation; i.e. good brakes, reliable shifting, etc. I don’t feel that I need anything too fancy or high-performance. So here’s the question.

 

What brands should I look for in my price range (say $200 – $400)? What level of quality can I expect to get for the price? Is there a review of low-end mountain bikes in any of the magazines that I might be able to dig up at the library? Well, that’s actually more than one question, and I still have others. Basically, I would appreciate any information which could help me with the task of picking out a low-end bike. So, once again, with high hopes I throw myself at the mercy of the internet community.Why yes, I got a Proflex 4000 at the end of the ’98 season (september). I got it from the rep for western NY state, he had a bunch he was taking around to races for people to “demo”.

 

I bought one of the slightly used demo bikes with a nice discount. The thing rides great, (once I figured out how to tune the suspension, their website has all the manuals online). I was cleaning the bike about a month ago, and noticed that one of the two screws that hold on the rear derailleur hanger was missing. I went into my LBS, the guy there called somebody at K2. That day, they mailed me 2 replacement screws. I got them in less than a week, for FREE! The bike has held up extremely well, I usually rode it 6 out of 7 days a week this summer, it’s been very good to me. My roommate is a passionate snowboarder and he onwed a K2 snowboard, which broke after 2 days and he told me that a lot of snowboarders complain about quality of the boards and especially the very shitty customer service (that’s what he says). Does anyone have experience with K2 mountainbikes and K2 customer service concerning mountainbikes?

Filed Under: Gt Bikes Tagged With: , , , , ,
« Older Posts